Really boring extension question… tea for builders?

[Jessforless]

Our extension starts imminently…

the work we’re having means I won’t be able to have access to where they’re working for the first part of the build without walking around to another street. (Our back gates come from a road behind) Our current back door will be boarded up while they build the main part of the extension.

My parents keep asking how I’m going to give them tea / coffee throughout the day..

Should I set something up outside? (Can’t think how?!)

Or did you not provide refreshments for your builders?

see? Really boring question 😂

I had a large loft extension done and it took about 3 months. I gave them a kettle and a jar of coffee and a box of t bags and 2 mugs and I gave them milk each morning. I sometimes bought a packet of biscuits for them. I wanted a good job done so tried to keep them in good spirits.

I went with a donut of Fridays.

I’d definitely get a small kettle and small fridge for them - try freecycle for the fridge. Buy some biscuits too. It’s easier for them to make their own rather than you doing it all the time.

We did a round once a day, twice if it was perishing. And did cold drinks in summer and ice creams a couple of times, our back yard in summer can be baking.

but only when it was feasible. It may or may not have bought goodwill.

I definitely wouldn't buy anything like a fridge or a kettle before checking with them - our builders had their own stuff they took from job to job, it would have been a waste

Definitely treat them as valued guests, you get a lot more out if them. All our lot are trades and they're so inundated with work the people that treat them the best get the best work. Just like any other employee tbh.

Yes, always offer drinks and biscuits. Even when the gas engineer comes for a service. I made lunch for the guy that rebuilt my decking 4 days in a row but I wouldn't do that again. Stick to just a Fridays. I really think it helps build a relationship with them and they will want to come back.

I was thinking more about how they'd use the toilet! The garden office is definitely the best solution for the tea/coffee. Our builders (company I work for) don't expect anything but always comment when a client provides something nice even if it's just a pack of biscuits on a Friday. Always better to build up a good relationship if they are working there for a while.

I always set up a spot and leave them cans of pop, biscuits and some sausage rolls or something. I make them cups of tea but if there’s no running water not much to be done. I’m sure they’ll bring a flask or something they’ll be used to it.

Interesting, I am in London and when we’ve had builders in doing smaller jobs like rebuilding our front garden wall or fitting the bathroom and kitchen they have only wanted to drink their own energy drinks. Not remotely interested in tea and coffee. Romanians and Albanians, different culture perhaps.

I was wondering the same thing.

We are also in London and have primarily had Romanian and Polish builders - they have drunk coffee but they always seem a bit bemused at being offered anything, seemed to actively prefer to make their own

We gave them an Uber eats voucher for their last week to get a few takeaways and that went down well but they really didn't seem comfortable with us making them teas or anything

I have an old kettle and 80s Easter egg mugs that I put out for workmen, whether I could make them tea myself or not. Box of teabags, jar of coffee, a bowl of sugar and a pint of milk. Also a packet of custard creams or Penguins if I like them 😄

I hate making big rounds of hot drinks, and I'm sure I'd prefer to make my own as and when if I was in their position. My mum borrows my workman tea tray if she has anyone in.

Never. If I’m at home, I’m WFH, and busy, and am not going to trek down two flights of stairs to offer hot drinks. We had builders onsite for the best part of a year and a half, and remained on excellent terms with them, mostly by being polite, communicating well, and paying promptly.

You can’t get to your builders, OP.

I always provide endless tea, occasional sausage bun breakfasts or stew lunches and a beer or two on Friday afternoons.

Just had a quote done for Phase 2 and the builder was very keen to return.

Yep. I left a packet of hobnobs outside for them and it wasn’t touched.

We had the portaloo of doom on the drive for 6 months, I used to dream about it going.

Most bring a flask. We are q friendly with our builder but he has food etc in his van and gets complicated with cups returns. Don't start then it won't be a thing

Lol
I'd be keen when van I start? 🤣

I’m having a kitchen extension built at the moment. I make tea for the builders at 8, 12 and 3.

Builders aren’t fussy. Milk in a flask, run an extension lead from the home office, buy a big plastic crate to store everything in when it rains. Water in a couple of refillable bottles. They’ll brew up as and when. Bulk buy and fill a big Tupperware of biscuits. Don’t forget cold drinks as it warms up. (Seasoned house renovator here - good luck!)

We’ve had tradesmen take us for absolute mugs and someone told me to stop making them endless tea & coffee because they just think we’re too nice & will accept them doing as they please

I think it can get abit tedious.

when I were looking for a company for our loft conversion, I went with a company that provided all their own food and drinks as we work from home and I couldn’t be doing with the constant brew making.

id looked at someone else’s loft who they had done, and she confirmed she never provided anything, they brought their own microwave and everything.

great I thought….

only as soon as they started, I was receiving texts from the loft asking for brews.

i thought hmmmm but I did it anyway.

as time went on, they were complaining that dust was dropping in their brew, so I provided flasks. Then after a while they complained that the flask made the tea too hot for too long.

he also resented providing his own dinner, and make references to his previous customer making them breakfast and dinner everyday despite having 3 year old triplets.

as they were storing tools in our garage, they saw we had a gym in there, he then started saying to dh that if we were thinking of getting rid of any of our gym equipment we could give it to him as a tip at the end of the job 😲

when there were one week left of the job, he complained to me that customers should provide meals for trades etc and if we do that then we get a better job!

I was absolutely furious! It was the last straw for me. We’d spent 70k on the shell of the attic conversion for him to imply he hadn’t done a good job because I didn’t run around after him.

i spoke to the boss (who was also very insistent that we don’t run around after them when he came to quote the job) and he was very apologetic and the next day the guy was off with me and it was all very awkward.

turns out the woman who’s attic I saw didn’t have him as her joiner, it was a different one.

We had builders in for a few weeks in the middle of the pandemic - I didn't want them in our kitchen, using our mugs, so set them up with their own tea station and just put out fresh milk every day.